Pupils to get PE homework – with parents expected to work out too!

PARENTS are used to helping their children with tricky maths problems or a spot of English grammar.

But the concept of homework is set to get a new twist, with pupils being set physical exercises to complete along with their families.

The scheme, which aims to encourage children between three and seven years of age to take part in physical activity, is being launched in Glasgow.

The Active Early Years project will work with parents, schools, clubs and community groups to develop ways to get children involved in sport and physical activity.

The programme, a collaboration between the Winning Scotland Foundation and registered social landlord ng homes, will run in north Glasgow.

The Scottish Government is giving £30,000 towards the project, with ng homes providing further investment.

It is inspired by pilot schemes in Edinburgh and Lanarkshire.

Pupils at Flora Stevenson Primary and Stockbridge Primary in the capital are offered activities including fencing, football, hip hop dancing and taekwondo during school hours, then given exercises to do at home later with their families.

This could be rolled out further by the Scottish Government, in an effort to make keeping fit part of family life.

Almost a third of Scotland’s children are classed as being overweight.

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said: ‘This is a novel idea and whoever dreamed this up should be given an accolade.

‘Often, when children go home from school, they go into a room to do their homework and their parents are in separate rooms.

‘If schools were to prescribe exercise as homework, they would be encouraged to be active together – even something as simple as going for a walk.’

Studies have shown that children who are overweight in their early years are likely to become obese adults

The Active Early Years Project aims to ‘create the habit of physical activity in young children as they move from nursery to primary school’.

Sport and health improvement minister Jamie Hepburn said: ‘We know that if we can get children into the habit of being physically active, they are far more likely to take that habit into older life. The earlier we can get them into the habit the better.

‘Children who are physically active are happier, healthier and more likely to succeed at school.

‘The Winning Scotland Foundation and their partners across Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire have run two successful pilot schemes that looked at ways to engage with schools, nurseries, parents and their children to come up with innovative ways of encouraging physical activity.

‘The scheme in Glasgow will build on the learning and success of those schemes.’

‘Happier and

healthier’